Cross -dam greening in potato cultivation: a key technology in the test!

Cross -dam greening in potato cultivation: a key technology in the test!

Straß, Deutschland - On June 15, 2025, the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry (Aelf) Ingolstadt-Pfaffenhofen invited to the agricultural inspection on the potato test field in Straß. The focus of the event was the significant measure of the greening of the cross dam in potato cultivation, the advantages of which, however, seem to be only sparsely known among the farmers present. Despite the interesting topic and the call to be the only information event of this kind in the region, the spectator places remained largely empty. Only two interested parties found their way to the event.

The demonstration included a demonstration of the different types of soil, whereby Martin Gruber from the Aelf illustrated the effects of conventional furrows in comparison to green transverse dams. It clearly became apparent in rains: where there were lateral dams, the earth remained in place, while in the conventional furrows the soil was removed. "The greening of the transverse dams increases the water supply of the plants and helps to stabilize the soil," says Gruber.

advantages of the cross -dam greening

The basic technology of the cross -dam greening is described as particularly effective to prevent erosion in potato construction. In unique weather conditions such as heavy ranges, the green area can stabilize the soil and promote water absorption. According to information from aelf-ip.bayern.de, the sowing of winter barley or summer barley is recommended to green the intermediate tribes, which improves the rooting of the soil and serves as erosion protection.

Gruber regretted the low response and suspected that the topic may be perceived as too simply, although the shortcomings of knowledge show a stronger need for information here. In Unterpindhart, for example, 14 farmers found out about the advantages of the greening of the transverse dam and their techniques that can be implemented on modern machines such as accompanying devices.

water as a valuable production factor

The problems of the water accumulation and the risk of soil erosion affect particularly hilly regions in Bavaria, where rainfall between 700 to 850 mm falls. It turns out that conventional transverse dams can only survive 1 to 2 rains without greening before they lose their function. Green dams, on the other hand, offer effective protection against erosion until the potatoes are closed.

In addition, the greening plays a crucial role in stabilizing the yields and promoting the even water distribution. The winter barley was identified as particularly resistant to certain herbicides and is better suited than other plant species such as oats. The integrity of the transverse dams not only increases water absorption, but also improves the passability of the fields and can counteract the appearance of herb rot.

In the end, the greening of the transverse dam could be the key to get the challenges of climate change under control in potato cultivation and at the same time to improve the soil quality sustainably. For farmers it is now important to put the topic on the agenda and to promote informative exchange.

You can find more details on the topic in the reports of DonaUkurier , aelf-ip.bayern.de and potatoeurope.de .